Discuss critically the contribution to post-colonial biblical studies of Kwok Pui-Lan

Introduction: Towards the Critical Analysis of Kwok Pui-Lan’s Post-colonial Contribution

In this essay I will critically engage with Asian feminist theologian Kwok Pui-Lan’s
contribution to post-colonial biblical studies. I will argue that the most compelling and
innovative aspect of Pui-Lan’s work is her re-imagination of the post-colonial bible,
illustrating her originality compared to other Asian feminist post-colonial theologians, such
as Chung Hyun Kyung and Choan-Seng Song, who fail to truly conceive a new
comprehension of post-colonialism.1
In support of this theory, I will firstly discuss the Christian and colonial past of Asia,
establishing the background of Pui-Lan’s work and the need for her influence. I will then
examine Pui-Lan’s contribution to four main areas of post-colonial biblical studies: firstly,
her insistence on the merge of feminist and post-colonial studies to encourage woman to hold
unique interpretations of biblical narratives. I will then critically analyse her insistence on the
need for Asian women to read the bible in the vernacular, her recognition of new post-
colonial methodology assisting biblical exploration and her re-interpretation of the historical
Jesus.
Through this analysis I hope to capture the ‘daring’, ‘imaginative’ and ‘relentlessly
hopeful’ essence of Pui-Lan’s contribution.2 It is this innovative nature that is undoubtedly
confirmed through her influential work ‘Postcolonial Imagination and Feminist Theology’,
published in 2005, which thematically amalgamates her previous articles into one coherent
collection.3 Pui-Lan describes post-colonialism as the process of ‘disengagement from the
colonial syndrome’ leading her interests to lie in the complex restructuring of thought after
colonialism and the assessment of the remaining impact of the coloniser on the colonised.4
Pui-Lan acknowledges the ‘critical authoritative role’ of the bible, constructing a ‘normative’
Christian lifestyle under colonial authority, and comprehends the role it plays in formulating
a new non-western post-colonial reality.5
Through this exploration I will raise crucial questions based on the ‘unacademic’
nature of Pui-Lan’s methodology, her reliance on white-western feminist exegesis and the
marginalisation of men in her interpretations. However, I will contend that the influence of
Kwok Pui-Lan’s work in re-imagining the post-colonial bible empowers women, bringing
equality to those marginalised by colonialism, overriding criticism to reveal the importance
of her contribution.

Kwok Pui-Lan’s Place within Asian History, Feminism and Christianity

Kwok Pui-Lan’s contribution to post-colonial biblical studies is fundamentally shaped

by her Chinese decent and upbringing in Hong Kong. Pui-Lan, as one of the first female
ordained ministers of the Anglican Church, crucially stands as an Asian feminist theologian
concerned with the globally marginalised as a representative for the PANAAWTM, the

1
Diane E. Stone, Three Theologians of the Twentieth-century Reformation (London: Routledge Publishers,
2007), 10.
2
Angie Pears, Doing Contextual Theology (New York: Routledge Publishers, 2010), 160.
3
Kwok Pui-Lan, Postcolonial Imagination and Feminist Theology (New York: John Knox Press, 2005), 1.
4
Ibid, 5.
5
Pears, Contextual Theology, 159.
1
Pacific, Asian, and North American Asian Women in Theology and Ministry. This has led
her demands for a complete reconsideration of post-colonial biblical scholarship in order to
be inclusive of those left ostracised by colonialism.
Pui-Lan’s work cannot be wholly appreciated without an accurate comprehension of
the history of Christianity and colonialism in China. The earliest traces of Christianity in
China are estimated to come from the 7th century; however the religion was made illegal by
the Ming dynasty after 1368.6 In the 15th century, during the influx of European colonial rule
and Orientalism, traditional Asian identity was lost and replaced with adherence to ‘superior’
western concepts, including Christianity, replacing Chinese folk religions which were
considered idolatry by Jesuits. Pui-Lan suggests that it is only since the establishment of the
People’s Republic of China in 1949 that the complex rewriting of Chinese history has begun,
which was amplified in the 1970s with the liberation of Chinese policies.7 However, with
Chairman Mao Zedong’s wish to eradicate religion, and the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s
and 70s, Pui-Lan states it is only since the late 1980s that it has been possible for Asian
women to openly organise theological networks and discuss the bible with freedom.8
I propose that it is this background of marginalisation and distinct control that
encapsulates the passion behind the work of Pui-Lan. It is this history that makes her task of
reinterpreting the bible in post-colonial society vital for Asian women.

The Integration of Feminism into Post-colonial Bible Studies

In this section I will explore what is arguably Kwok Pui-Lan’s most outstanding
contribution to post-colonial biblical studies: her persistence to illustrate the need for the
amalgamation of feminist and post-colonial bible readings, enabling interaction between the
disciplines.9 Pui-Lan believes feminist biblical interpretations can fundamentally benefit from
this communication, moving feminism’s perceived ‘out-dated’ practices to become involved
with the multicultural and intercultural nature of post-colonial biblical studies.10 She asserts
that it is through a post-colonial feminist interpretation of the bible that space can be created
to transform our historical and moral imaginations from colonial restrictions.11 Through this
ideology Kwok Pui-Lan uniquely investigates the narratives within the bible concerning
women, focusing on their role and character within the text. She argues that previous feminist
biblical scholarship predominately illustrates only the female leaders within texts, critically
neglecting women from poorer classes and non-Christians.12
I suggest Pui-Lan’s post-colonial contribution fundamentally seeks to capture the
varied social dynamic encapsulated within the bible, distinctively including those at the
margins of society. Yet Pui-Lan does not disregard the importance of focus on female biblical
leaders, Naomi and Ruth, for example, are portrayed as confident determined women. Pui-
Lan comprehends that it is through portrayals of female characters that women presently
facing colonial intimidation, or the task of re-imagining the future after colonial influence,
are able to actively shape their own destiny.13 Pui-Lan recognises the submissive nature of

6
Daniel H. Bays, A New History of Christian in China (Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 2012), 59.
7
Pui-Lan, Postcolonial Imagination, 31.
8
Kwok Pui-Lan, Introducing Asian Feminist Theology (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press Ltd, 2000), 9.
9
Pears, Contextual Theology, 159.
10
Ibid, 160.
11
R. S. Sugirtharajah, The Postcolonial Biblical Reader (Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 2012), 45.
12
Ibid, 51.
13
Pui-Lan, Postcolonial Imagination, 52.
2
women enforced by the colonial church and crucially looks to transform this, seeing the bible
as a tool for the formation of an innovative future for women.
Conversely, Pui-Lan’s incorporation of feminist thinking into post-colonial biblical
criticism could easily be condemned. I acknowledge that through removing the dominating
western masculine interpretations of the text and replacing them with feminine interpretations
a new form of colonialism is created, with men becoming the marginalised. Through my
analysis however I would suggest that this is not the purpose of Kwok Pui-Lan’s biblical
criticism, instead the work aims to encourage women to reimagine themselves as equals
within society, and it is this ideology that captures the ground-breaking contribution of her
work.

Enabling Women to Read the Bible in the Vernacular

The following section will explore the importance of Kwok Pui-Lan’s efforts to
enable Asian women, living in post-colonial settings, to fully engage with the bible in the
vernacular with transformative results. Her work significantly encourages the oral
transmission and interpretation of texts, leading to the breaking of the boundaries that exist
within written texts assisting narratives to be experienced within a woman’s unique reality. 14
I argue this re-imagination crucially allows biblical narratives to hold a distinct concern for
the present, not only the past setting through which it was created. Pui-Lan suggests that this
retelling, through the use of creative techniques such as poetry, drama and dance, truly
evokes women’s ‘thoughts, feelings and voice’, resulting in the realisation of their equality.15
An example widely used by Pui-Lan to illustrate this is the story of the
Syrophoenician women in Matthew 15:21-28 and Mark 7:24-30. In Mark’s account Pui-Lan
argues the Syrophoenician women stands at the boundaries of society, marginalised through
both her sex and race. Within Matthew 15 however, the woman commands a more active
voice.16 Pui-Lan asserts that when faced with texts such as these a post-colonial feminist
innovative reading of the passage is needed. Such techniques allow the multiple identities of
the Syrophoenician woman to be represented, discovering her position as a mother, an
oppressed woman and despised by the Jews, allowing the woman to be emancipated from the
margins she is portrayed within.17
I contend that Pui-Lan’s reliance on vernacular readings means she faces criticism for
her rejection of western biblical scholarship, unsystematic and unacademic practices, and
negligence of a text’s historical development. I suggest that, although this may be true,
through Pui-Lan’s engagement in such feminist post-colonial hermeneutics and practices
women can uncover role models within the bible who are beneficial for their own lives,
previously dominated by ‘masculine hegemonic interpretations’.18 It is through this insistence
on vernacular readings that Pui-Lan must be recognised for the innovative nature of her work.

The Development of New Post-colonial Methodology

14
Ibid, 54.
15
Ibid, 55.
16
Ibid, 60.
17
Sugirtharajah, Postcolonial Reader, 60.
18
Pears, Contextual Theology, 165.
3
 In continuation from the previous section I will now discuss Pui-Lan’s crucial
insistence on the development of the precise post-colonial methodology for reading and
interpreting the bible, enabling vernacular readings without reliance on colonial techniques.
She essentially identifies the use of the bible as a source and ‘signifier’ of patriarchal power
throughout the colonial period, providing the exegetical results to support political ‘truths’.19
She engages with the Old Testament example of the Canaanites in the Pentateuch, portrayed
as a people who worshipped idols and held low moral standards, used throughout colonialism
to suggest Christians as the dominant chosen people.20 Pui-Lan specifically analyses the
impact this narrative had on women, seeing the bible as a tool for the two-fold oppression of
women, not only suppressed by colonialism but also patriarchal domination, failing to
identify women as anything more than property.21 I therefore argue that Pui-Lan’s work urges
for a reorientation of biblical studies, expressing the need to engage with non-biblical texts in
order to be considerate and inclusive of religious pluralism, as well as issues of race, class
and gender.22
However Pui-Lan’s views, I suggest, can be criticised, not only does she downplay
the importance of biblical authority but also contradicts herself through her methodology. As
Wong Wai-Ching states, Pui-Lan only uses white western feminist ideas, which do not
escape the colonialist past but engages directly with colonial-based interpretation.23 I would
dispute that this is not the intention of Pui-Lan’s methodology, through re-imagining the bible
for Asian women; Pui-Lan aims to be inclusive of all women’s biblical interpretations,
including western women. Pui-Lan comprehends the importance of differentiating the ways
in which we read the bible. She states that practices such as historical criticism were created
by ‘white, male, middle class academics’ which closes off their methodologies to societies
with different interpretations of history, such as Asia.24
On the contrary, Pui-Lan does not completely reject the methodology of historical
criticism; she suggests it is crucial to understand where texts originate from. Instead she
expresses the need to incorporate new methods including literary criticism, theoretical
criticism and sociological criticism in order to engage in the varieties of truths across
cultures.25 I contend it is through the integration of these methods that the post-colonial views
of those once marginalised may be vocalised, illuminating the importance of Pui-Lan’s work.

The Post-colonial Re-imagination of the Historical Jesus

This section will explore Pui-Lan’s emphasis on the need for a feminist post-colonial
re-imagination of the historical Jesus, a crucial debate that flourished within 19th century
Europe influenced by the colonial age.26 Muriel Orevillo-Montenegro explains Pui-Lan
19
Ibid, 159.
20
Musa W. Dube, Postcolonial Feminist Interpretation of the Bible (New York: Chalice Press, 2000), 55.
21
Kwok, Postcolonial Imagination, 53.
22
Kwok Pui-Lan, “Sexual Morality and National Politics in Reading Biblical Loose Women,” in Engaging the
Bible: Critical Reading from Contemporary Women, ed. Choi Hee An and Katheryn Pfisterer Darr (New York:
Fortress Press, 2005), 21.
23
Muriel Orevillo-Montenegro, The Jesus of Asian Women (New York: Logos Press, 2009), 169.
24
Caroline Vander Stichele and Todd C. Penner. Her Master’s Tools? Feminism and Postcolonial Engagements
of Historical-Critical Discourse (London: The Society of Biblical Literature, 2005), 55.
25
Anna Runesson, Exegesis in the Making: Postcolonialism and New Testament Studies (Leiden: Brill
Publishers, 2011), 75.
26
Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza, Jesus and the Politics of Interpretation (New York: Continuum International
Publishing Group, 2001), 44.
4
‘pushes the limits’ of conventional Christological debate, paying attention to the emerging
portrayals and ideologies of Christ.27 Pui-Lan argues the west held two parallel quests in the
19th century, one being the ‘obsession’ with the search for the historical Jesus and the other
the exploration for land and people to conquer.28 It is now in the post-colonial age that this
quest must re-emerge, Pui-Lan contends that the western search for knowledge of Jesus is
driven by an objective ‘historical critical reading strategy’, emphasising a scholarly approach
to the matter.29 I propose that what Pui-Lan wishes to do is break scholarly barriers, stressing
the need for inclusion of those in poverty, which accounts for the majority of the Asian
population, enabling them to experience Jesus.
Pui-Lan’s work focuses on Jesus’s experience of suffering, acknowledging that
through this suffering God himself can empathise with the impoverished and marginalised
Asian population and can ‘weep with our pain’.30 Through using the example of China’s
‘One-Child Policy’, initiated in 1979, Pui-Lan emphasises how Asian women cannot easily
conceive of hope and freedom, stressing it is only in the incarnation of Christ that this is
found.31 Pui-Lan also confronts the difficulties Chinese women have in accepting the biblical
narratives surrounding the gospels. She suggests Chinese women have experience of spiritual
healing through their society but find the narratives of the incarnation and virgin birth of
Christ ‘strange and unconvincing’, making them hard comprehend as ‘truths’. 32 Pui-Lan
explains John’s gospel helps with these issues, through its use of imagery and comparisons,
such as the wine, bread and the shepherd, constructs are provided that the women can relate
to through their experiences.
I comprehend however that, in every society, narratives of Jesus contrast contextual
experiences. For example, western science deems virgin birth and incarnation impossible. I
suggest instead it is faith that cements these narratives as acceptable truths; without this faith
such narratives are disputably complex within any society. Conversely I agree with Pui-Lan
that there is a distinct need in post-colonial biblical studies for a full acceptance of the
diversity of human belief, encouraging the acceptance of pluralistic ideas of Jesus to be more
inclusive.33 It is through this debate that I recognise the importance of Pui-Lan’s work,
transforming post-colonial biblical studies to be inclusive of the all perspectives.

Conclusions

To conclude, through the exploration of the contributions of Asian feminist theologian

Kwok Pui-Lan to post-colonial biblical studies I have exposed the crucial nature of Pui-Lan’s
work in re-imagining biblical studies, promoting an inclusive and progressive discipline.34
Through the essay’s analysis of Pui-Lan’s integration of feminism to post-colonial studies it
is apparent that there exists an overwhelming need for the rediscovery of the representation of
female characters, crucially for women’s vernacular reading of the bible.

27
Orevillo-Montenegro, Jesus of Asian Women, 166.
28
Michael Labahn and Andreas Schmidt. Jesus, Mark and Q: The Teaching of Jesus and its Earliest Records
(London: T&T Clark International, 2001), 264.
29
Runesson, Exegesis in the Making, 63.
30
Orevillo-Montenegro, Jesus of Asian Women, 163.
31
Ibid, 164.
32
Ibid, 165.
33
Ibid, 166.
34
Stichele and Penner, Her Master’s Tools, 55.
5
 Pui-Lan’s determination to formulate new ways in which to interpret the bible
discloses the need for the integration of contextually accessible methodologies. In doing this
the bible’s meaning is transformed for those facing marginalisation, explicitly those existing
in a new post-colonial reality. Furthermore, Pui-Lan’s specification for change in our
understanding of the historical Jesus is critically revealed to challenge concepts formulated
through colonial interpretation.
I believe this essay has demonstrated Pui-Lan’s critical ability to test the perceived
norms of post-colonial biblical studies, both the methodology used and the relationship
individuals hold with the narratives. However, criticism of Pui-Lan cannot be neglected; her
work at times distinctly lacks political engagement, appearing unacademic and only relevant
merely to the Asian population, appearing to create new forms of colonialism. Wong Wai-
Ching argues Pui-Lan, like many Asian feminist theologians, portrays Asian women simply
as the victims, establishing an even further divide between Asia and the west.35 Yet it is my
assertion that these downfalls in Pui-Lan’s efforts do not diminish her ability to bring the
biblical literature into conversation with the women and the marginalised in order to establish
a full comprehension of the text outside a once dominant colonial perspective.36

35
Pui-Lan, Postcolonial Imagination, 35.
36
Runesson, Exegesis in the Making, 76.
6
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